It was a pretty quiet Monday night. CBS had the final two episodes of the season of The Odd Couple. They were on par with recent episodes. I don't think this show will be back for a fourth season but I've been wrong about it before. On ABC, The Bachelor was down a tenth in viewers and the demo while Quantico is a big flop in its new timeslot as it also dropped a tenth in viewers and the demo to a terrible 0.7 demo. It was beaten by a repeat of Scorpion. On NBC, The New Celebrity Apprentice was down two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo while Timeless was even. On FOX, Gotham was down a tenth in viewers and the demo while Lucifer was even. These two shows will now go on a long hiatus until late spring to make room for 24: Legacy and APB. Finally on the CW, Supergirl was down three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo while Jane the Virgin was down a tenth in viewers and the demo.

Here is my weekly recap for Week #19. Please note this only covers regularly scheduled shows (no sports, specials, repeats, or Saturday shows). It also does not cover CW in the ratings section to make past year comparisons more accurate.

President Trump has decided to unveil his Supreme Court pick in primetime so we'll see what the networks decide to do, it's not totally clear right now. However, it probably won't have too much of an impact either way with many shows in repeats. Only Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., The Wall, The Mick, Bones, and the CW lineup are new. The CW lineup could be up a bit and CBS could get some traction with its annual Super Bowl Commercials special.

It was a quiet Sunday night the week between the Championship Games and the Super Bowl. On CBS, everything was up from their last airings, which aired against a Divisional Playoff Game. 60 Minutes was up a nice four million viewers and half a demo point. NCIS: Los Angeles was up 2.7 million viewers and four tenths in the demo. Madam Secretary was up 1.2 million viewers and two tenths in the demo while Elementary was up a million viewers and two tenths in the demo. On ABC, two episodes of To Tell the Truth were both up from their last new airings two weeks ago. Amazing how To Tell the Truth is no worse and perhaps better than Once Upon a Time and Secrets and Lies from a ratings perspective. At 10pm, the season (and most certainly series) finale of Conviction was up three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. FOX aired the Miss Universe Pageant to numbers similar to last year.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: 60 Minutes (CBS)LOSER OF THE NIGHT: Conviction (ABC)

NBC announced today that it has renewed freshman comedy The Good Place for a second season. The quirky comedy delivered decent numbers in its Thursday night slot where there was a chance for it to completely go off the rails. It was only conceived as a 13 episode season so it has already wrapped for the year but it had a well regarded season finale and some critical buzz in general.

The Good Place joins This is Us and The Voice as official NBC renewals. Sure to join them are The Wall, Chicago Fire, Law & Order: SVU, and Chicago PD. Likely renewals include Chicago Med and The Blacklist. Blindspot is on the bubblewhile it's not looking good for Timeless and Emerald City. Still to premiere this season on NBC are Powerless, The Blacklist: Redemption, Taken, Chicago Justice, Trial & Error, and Great News along with unscheduled freshmen Marlon and Midnight, Texas.

Monday night has mostly new episodes except for some repeats on CBS. CBS does have the last two episodes of The Odd Couple for the season. The perennial bubble show seems like its chances are slimmer this year but it's seemed dead before so we'll see. The other networks are the same as last week and should deliver similar numbers. Gotham and Lucifer on FOX have their last episodes until late in the spring.

Sunday, January 29, 2017

Sunday night is one of the few non-event Sundays in January and February. I don't count the Miss Universe Pageant as an event though there could be some interest with the return of Steve Harvey as host after last year's debacle. ABC has the season (and most certainly series) finale of Conviction while CBS has its regular lineup and NBC is airing Dateline NBC after a repeat of The New Celebrity Apprentice.

Saturday, January 28, 2017

Based on the Archie Comics Characters
Developed by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
Written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Directed by Lee Toland Krieger

In a very unusual re-imagining of the Archie comics, Riverdale is a throwback to the sudsy yet moody teen CW shows of earlier this decade. The characters of the legendary comics have been put in a contemporary high school setting fresh off a mysterious summer death of a classmate and brother of queen bee Cheryl Blossom (Madelaine Petsch). Archie (KJ Apa) knows something about the death but was in a compromising situation and can't reveal anything. His longtime friend is Betty (Lili Reinhart), who has a secret crush on him. Throwing a wrench into things is the arrival of Veronica (Camila Mendes), who befriends Betty but also has a complicated family history in Riverdale. Rounding out the main cast is narrator Jughead (Cole Sprouse) and Josie (Ashleigh Murray), who leads the girl band Josie and the Pussycats.

This was an interesting concept for the show and I'm not really sure about the wisdom in it because Archie Comics are not really a cultural thing anymore though they once were. Yet, this show is targeting a teen/young adult audience who probably have no idea what the comic is. I'm sure it's what got this pilot sold, but I wish they had just decided to write a good teen mystery show without having to wrap it in the Archie Comics conceit.

That being said, I did enjoy the pilot, even if it was a bit on the melodramatic side, and I thought the performances were pretty solid throughout. In particular, I enjoyed Lili Reinhart and Camila Mendes and the dynamic between them. They are polar opposites and I enjoyed them as friends and enemies, and we saw both in the pilot. I wasn't quite as sold on KJ Apa as Archie as he seemed to be focused on being brooding for most of the pilot without a lot of character development. I'm sure we'll see more of Josie and Jughead but there wasn't much of them in the pilot. The murder mystery and set-up for future episodes left the pilot in an intriguing place even if there have been many shows with this type of storyline. Perhaps the one good thing about it being connected to the Archie Comics is it might be more easily able to have more storylines once the murder mystery is solved.

This show isn't really targeted to me and I'm not sure that I'll actually stick with it in the long run but it made me interested enough to see another episode thanks to the acting mainly. I still am not quite sure who's going to actually be the audience for this show. It's certainly a teen drama trying to appeal to fans of a show like Pretty Little Liars while using characters that would appeal to the parents of fans of shows like Liars. We'll see if it can find a niche.

WILL I WATCH IT AGAIN?
I'm going to give it at least one more episode.

It was a quiet Friday night with the CBS lineup in repeats. On ABC, Last Man Standing was up a tenth in viewers and down two tenths in the demo. Dr. Ken was up six tenths in viewers and even in the demo for one of its better retention performances of the season. At 9pm, Shark Tank was up a tenth in viewers and the demo from its last new episode. 20/20 ended the night up 1.1 million viewers and down a tenth in the demo for its Mary Tyler Moore tribute. On NBC, Grimm was even with last week. Emerald City is looking more like a flop every week as it was down a tenth in viewers and the demo. At 10pm, Dateline NBC was up seven tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. On FOX, Rosewood was down a tenth in viewers and even in the demo while Sleepy Hollow was up three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. Finally on the CW, The Vampire Diaries and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend were even with last week.WINNER OF THE NIGHT: Dr. Ken (ABC)LOSER OF THE NIGHT: Emerald City (NBC)

On Thursday night, the TGIT gang got back together for the first time since last March. The results were pretty good but there are some warning signs. The best performance came from Grey's Anatomy, which aired for the first time since November and surged 1.6 million viewers and four tenths in the demo for a season high. At 9pm was the heavily promoted return of Scandal, but I would say it was an underwhelming performance. This was well below the season five premiere and even a tenth below its winter return last year. For all the hype for Scandal's return, this is an alarming sign in my opinion as the wind is coming out of its sails. I think it might be time for ABC to think about an end game for Scandal, maybe an announced final season for next year? I'm not sure that will happen but I'd hate to see this once hot show wither away to nothing. At 10pm, How to Get Away with Murder was up four tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo, also hitting a season high.

The CW had its last series premiere with Riverdale, but first up, Supernatural moved to the 8pm slot and was down a tenth in viewers and the demo. Then Riverdale premiered to a very modest 1.4 million viewers and 0.5 demo. This was on par with the No Tomorrow premiere and just above the Frequency premiere. Considering how bad those shows bombed in the fall, this was a pretty weak start. It's good CW got Supergirl from CBS because their new freshmen have been weak. We'll see where Riverdale goes from here but CW had to be hoping for better. On CBS, a special on Mary Tyler Moore was old skewing but did well in total viewers. It was followed by the season (and most certainly series) finale of Pure Genius, which was down a tenth in viewers and the demo. Finally on FOX, Hell's Kitchen was up a tenth in viewers and down a tenth in the demo while My Kitchen Rules was down three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: Grey's Anatomy (ABC)LOSER OF THE NIGHT: Riverdale (CW)

On Wednesday night, CBS aired the time period premiere of Hunted after its big Championship Game night preview. It delivered a modest 5.5 million viewers and 1.3 demo. This was an OK performance for a Survivor filler. It didn't bring a huge audience over from Sunday's premiere but it also could have been an outright flop without that preview. On FOX, Lethal Weapon was even while Star was down two tenths in viewers and even in the demo, not dropping for the first time in its run. On ABC, the first interview with Donald Trump since the inauguration delivered strong numbers at 10pm following comedy repeats. On the CW, Arrow returned to tie a series low in the demo, continuing a rough week for the CW. The first (and certainly only) season of Frequency was up a tenth in viewers and the demo.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: Lethal Weapon (FOX)LOSER OF THE NIGHT: Arrow (CW)

The gang is back together on Thursday night with the return of ABC's TGIT lineup. Grey's Anatomy and How to Get Away with Murder are back for the first time since November while Scandal has its season premiere after being off for the fall. This lineup was not looking so hot when it was last in tact nearly a year ago but there seems to be some buzz for the return of Scandal especially so it could surprise. We'll see. Elsewhere, the CW has the premiere of new Archie Comics drama Riverdale, following Supernatural. It doesn't have a high bar to clear after the horrible performances of fall CW freshman No Tomorrow and Frequency. CBS has the season (and most certainly series) finale of Pure Genius following a special tribute to Mary Tyler Moore hosted by Gayle King.

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

The world lost a TV icon today with the passing of Mary Tyler Moore at the age of 80. When you think of the greatest sitcom actresses of all time, there are two that stand above the rest: Lucille Ball and Mary Tyler Moore.

Much of the coverage today has focused on her iconic role on her self-titled show but no tribute of Mary would be complete without talking about her brilliant work first on The Dick Van Dyke Show as Laura Petrie. In an era where TV wives were confined to a stereotypical June Cleaver-style housewife role, Moore and the creators of The Dick Van Dyke Show clearly wanted more. They made her a partner in the marriage and quickly realized she was a gifted comedienne and used it to great effect. Who can forget her classic timing as she rolled in on top of a pile of walnuts or frantically tried to stuff an inflatable raft back in its box or tearfully explained to her husband that she told a TV audience that Alan Brady was bald. We also got to see her become a fashion icon and she got to show off her singing and dancing throughout five classic seasons with one of the best casts in the best written show of the 1960s.

After a few years away from TV, she returned with a vengeance in 1970 starring in The Mary Tyler Moore Show, quite possibly the greatest TV show of all time in my opinion. Starring as single career woman Mary Richards, Moore became a feminist icon and a role model for an entire generation. Surrounded by an incredible ensemble, she was the glue that held the entire show together. Turning the world on with her smile, she continued to show her unique comedic timing and talents. Though Mary Richards was nearly perfect in every way, Mary Tyler Moore made her very human and relatable as she suffered through bad dates, a male-dominated workplace, and of course, terrible parties. From iconic moments like her first job interview with Lou Grant to the day everything went wrong starting with a hair bump to her tour de force trying to contain her laughter at the funeral of Chuckles the Clown, Mary's performance elevated what was already a nearly perfect show.

Her two TV roles will be what she will always be remembered for and deservedly so but she had a long career on stage, in film, and on TV. She was nominated for an Academy Award playing against type in Ordinary People and steadily worked on TV movies, a couple short-lived shows, and many guest appearances through the 1990s and 2000s. She was also well known for being a fierce advocate for diabetes research as she herself suffered from the disease for over 40 years. Lucille Ball had a tremendous career on TV but she was always playing one form or another of the "Lucy" character. Mary Tyler Moore amazingly created two incredibly distinct personalities on two shows that will forever be remembered among the very greatest. Mary Richards and Laura Petrie are gifts Moore has left for us to enjoy for years to come. She made it after all.

ABC announced today that it has renewed family comedy The Middle for a ninth season. The longtime hit moved from Wednesdays to Tuesdays this year and while its ratings have declined, it has helped ABC carve out a strong comedy presence on Tuesdays. This renewal has come down to the wire and it can be tricky with veteran shows but ABC got this done early and the Hecks will be coming back for another year. The Middle is ABC's first official renewal for the 2017-18 season.

It was another strong Tuesday for NBC. At 8pm, The Wall was even in viewers and down a tenth in the demo. At 9pm, This is Us was even in viewers and up two tenths in the demo as it just continues to impress. The heat extended for Chicago Fire this time too, which was up two tenths in viewers and the demo for its best performance since the season premiere. On CBS, NCIS was up seven tenths in viewers and even in the demo but it didn't go as well the rest of the night. Bull was up a tenth in viewers but down two tenths in the demo for a series low. Remember when we weren't sure if this show or This is Us would win the 9pm hour? At 10pm, NCIS: New Orleans was down a tenth in viewers and the demo for a series low. Only Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was new for ABC and it was even with last week. On FOX, New Girl and The Mick were both even in viewers and down a tenth in the demo. They continue to inch down but I still think both will be renewed. At 9pm, Bones was up two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. On the CW, The Flash hit a new series low in its return, falling below a 1.0 demo for the first time. DC's Legends of Tomorrow aired on its new day but didn't do very well either despite a seemingly good pair. I wonder if the CW being off for so long is hurting its performance this week.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: Chicago Fire (NBC)LOSER OF THE NIGHT: The Flash (CW)

Wednesday night has repeats blanketing the ABC and NBC lineups. ABC is ending its night with an exclusive first interview with new President Trump. CBS is airing Hunted as a two hour episode following Sunday's big premiere after the Championship Game. FOX and the CW have their normal lineups.

On Monday night, it was ABC's The Bachelor that continued to shine brightest. It was up two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo for a season high. But there was bad news at 10pm and the new slot for Quantico. It was only a very small improvement from its Sunday's results despite a much stronger lead-in. This was about as bad as it could have gone for Quantico on Monday and I don't see how ABC can justify giving it a third season. It could have had the Sunday excuse but this was one of ABC's best slots and there was very little competition. The CW lineup was back for the first time since late November. Supergirl was down big (eight tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo) but that was compared to the Crossover Week. This result was in line with episodes before that. At 9pm, Jane the Virgin was down two tenths in viewers and even in the demo.

It was another good night for CBS Monday. Kevin Can Wait was down a tenth in viewers and even in the demo. Man with a Plan followed and was even in viewers and up a tenth in the demo, tying series highs in both categories. In the demo, it tied its series premiere back in October. This show seems to be helping its case more each week. At 9pm, 2 Broke Girls was up seven tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo for a season high. Following a repeat of The Big Bang Theory instead of The Odd Couple, Scorpion was even in viewers and up a tenth in the demo. On NBC, The New Celebrity Apprentice was down four tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo while Timeless was even. Finally on FOX, Gotham was down a tenth in viewers and even in the demo and Lucifer was up two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. This January run for these shows is exemplifying how FOX mishandled these shows by having them go on an extended break after next week.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: Man with a Plan (CBS)LOSER OF THE NIGHT: Quantico (ABC)

Here is my weekly recap for Week #18. Please note this only covers regularly scheduled shows (no sports, specials, repeats, or Saturday shows). It also does not cover CW in the ratings section to make past year comparisons more accurate.

Tuesday night has the ABC comedy lineup in repeats but everything else is new including the return of the CW lineup. The Flash returns at 8pm and DC's Legends of Tomorrow moves over from Thursdays to take the 9pm slot, which could lead to growth for the show and will definitely be an improvement on previous occupant No Tomorrow.

ABC8:00 The Middle (REPEAT)8:30 American Housewife (REPEAT)9:00 Fresh Off the Boat (REPEAT)9:30 The Real O'Neals (REPEAT)10:00 Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. #77 "Wake Up"CBS8:00 NCIS #319 "Keep Going"9:00 Bull #12 "Stockholm Syndrome"10:00 NCIS: New Orleans #59 "Hell on the High Water"NBC8:00 The Wall9:00 This is Us #13 "Three Sentences"10:00 Chicago Fire #103 "Who Lives and Who Dies"FOX8:00 New Girl #130 "The Hike"8:30 The Mick #6 "The Master"9:00 Bones #238 "The Price for the Past"CW8:00 The Flash #56 "Borrowing Problems from the Future"9:00 DC's Legends of Tomorrow #25 "Raiders of the Lost Art"

Monday, January 23, 2017

Monday night has nearly full episodes across the board except for a repeat of The Big Bang Theory in place of The Odd Couple. ABC has the arrival of Quantico on the night. The once promising drama has languished on Sundays but gets a chance after one of TV's top shows. I'm not sure The Bachelor audience will stay for Quantico, but it seems like it will be an improvement on Conviction's numbers as well as its own Sunday numbers. The CW is finally out of its winter slumber with the first new Supergirl and Jane the Virgin episodes since November 28.

Sunday, January 22, 2017

Sunday night is all about CBS as they will be airing the sure to be huge AFC Championship Game. In recent years, this has turned into a Super Bowl-style event where the network airing the game uses the lead-out slot on something important. CBS is choosing to debut the new reality series Hunted, which has gotten tons of promotion and will certainly get good sampling. The other networks are all basically punting though FOX is burning off an episode of Son of Zorn, which doesn't seem to bode well for the freshman comedy.

On Friday night, ABC started with Last Man Standing down three tenths in viewers and up a tenth in the demo, topping the night with a 1.4 demo. Dr. Ken was down two tenths in viewers and up a tenth in the demo. After a Shark Tank repeat, 20/20 was down 1.3 million viewers and two tenths in the demo. On CBS, an Inauguration special was way down from usual MacGyver numbers and it seemed to bring the dramas that followed down with it. Hawaii Five-0 was down 1.3 million viewers and two tenths in the demo, tying a series low. Blue Bloods was down seven tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. On NBC, Grimm was up a tenth in viewers and even in the demo but it's looking even worse for Emerald City, which was down four tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. At 10pm, Dateline NBC was down four tenths in viewers but up a tenth in the demo. On FOX, Rosewood was even in viewers and down a tenth in the demo while Sleepy Hollow was down two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo for a series low. Finally on the CW, The Vampire Diaries was down a tenth in viewers and the demo while Crazy Ex-Girlfriend was even.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: Last Man Standing (ABC)LOSER OF THE NIGHT: Sleepy Hollow (FOX)

On Thursday night, NBC aired a one hour season finale of The Good Place. It was up three tenths in viewers and even in the demo. I think it has done enough to get renewed especially with a well received twist last night. If it doesn't, it seems like a streaming service could come calling. At 9pm, Chicago Med was down half a million viewers and a tenth in the demo. The Blacklist was down three tenths in viewers and even in the demo to end the night. ABC was supposed to bring back TGIT last night but it was pushed to next week so a 20/20 special could air at 10pm. The lineup will return next week. On FOX, Hell's Kitchen was down a tenth in viewers and up a tenth in the demo. It is a huge improvement on Rosewood in this slot. At 9pm, My Kitchen Rules was even in viewers and down a tenth in the demo from last week's premiere.

Finally on CBS, The Big Bang Theory aired a new episode after a repeat last week. It was down 1.6 million viewers and two tenths in the demo from its last new episode. However, it did bring up the rest of the comedy lineup, which fell following a repeat Big Bang last week. At 8:30pm, The Great Indoors was back up six tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo. Mom was up 1.2 million viewers and a nice four tenths in the demo. Life in Pieces actually hit a season high as it was up a million viewers and three tenths in the demo. At 10pm, Pure Genius was up a tenth in viewers but down a tenth in the demo.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: Life in Pieces (CBS)LOSER OF THE NIGHT: Pure Genius (CBS)

ABC had an interesting night because they aired Fresh Off the Boat on a special night. This is a show that has underperformed in the new Tuesday block this season. But surprisingly, it did better as a Wednesday lead-off show. Of course it also didn't match what The Goldbergs does. I think this certainly helps this show and I expect a renewal but who knows where it will go on the schedule next season. At 8:30pm, Speechless was down half a million viewers and two tenths in the demo, but it did build on its lead-in. After a Modern Family repeat, Black-ish was down 1.1 million viewers and three tenths in the demo from when it followed a new episode last week. At 10pm, Match Game was down seven tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo.

On CBS, Undercover Boss was down three tenths in viewers and even in the demo. The People's Choice Awards aired from 9-11pm and was down a bit from last year and has become a mostly ignored awards show. On NBC, Blindspot was down three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo for a series low. This show seemed to overperform a bit in the fall but it has been pretty weak the last couple weeks. Law & Order: SVU was up four tenths in viewers and even in the demo while Chicago PD was up half a million viewers and even in the demo. On FOX, Lethal Weapon was down two tenths in viewers and even in the demo but Star continued to drop. It was down three tenths in viewers and another two tenths in the demo. This has gone from building on its lead-in to even to two tenths down in just three weeks, that's not a great trend line but it's still on FOX, so it's not in dire shape yet. Finally on the CW, Frequency was even with last week.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: Fresh Off the Boat (ABC)LOSER OF THE NIGHT: Star (FOX)

Thursday night was supposed to bring the return of TGIT but ABC delayed it by a week in order to air a special 20/20 edition on tomorrow's Presidential Inauguration. I am skeptical that the special was the real reason because they could have aired it elsewhere. I think they changed their mind about when they wanted the premiere date for whatever reason and found a convenient reason to switch it. CBS is back to having a new The Big Bang Theory so the entire lineup could swing back up. NBC has the season finale of The Good Place with back to back episodes. It was always intended to be 13 episodes so this is not a bad sign that its ending in January but a good finale night would help its case.

On Tuesday night, NBC had its successful lineup with two shows that got good news at the TCA Tour today. At 8pm, The Wall was down four tenths in viewers and even in the demo. It got an order for 20 more episodes today, but it's not announced when or where those additional episodes will air with The Voice coming back in a little over a month. At 9pm, This is Us returned to its regular slot after its series high at 10pm last week. It was down nine tenths in viewers and four tenths in the demo. That seems like a steep drop but there was so much attention last week to it and this is more in line with normal episodes. It received a two-season renewal today. At 10pm, Chicago Fire was down four tenths in viewers and even in the demo from the last episode, which aired at 9pm two weeks ago. On FOX, New Girl was down a tenth in viewers and the demo while The Mick was down two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo but still built on its New Girl lead-in. At 9pm, Bones was down four tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo from last week's episode, which didn't start until 9:55pm.

On ABC, The Middle was down six tenths in viewers and even in the demo while American Housewife was down four tenths in viewers and even in the demo. The 9pm comedies didn't hold up as well. Fresh Off the Boat was down half a million viewers and two tenths in the demo while The Real O'Neals was down half a million viewers and two tenths in the demo to tie a series low. At 10pm, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was down seven tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo for a new series low. How can ABC justify renewing this show for a fifth season? We'll see if they do. On CBS, NCIS was down three tenths in viewers and up a tenth in the demo. Bull was down two tenths in viewers and even in the demo, getting a sixth 1.5 demo in the last seven episodes. At 10pm, NCIS: New Orleans was down three tenths in viewers and even in the demo. Finally on the CW, the season (and most certainly series) finale of No Tomorrow was down a tenth in viewers and even in the demo.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: NCIS (CBS)LOSER OF THE NIGHT: Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC)

On its TCA day, NBC announced a renewal for This is Us not just for the 2017-18 season but for the 2018-19 season as well. A renewal of the breakout hit was just a formality but the two season pickup is an extra show of support.

This is Us is far and away the #1 new broadcast show this year, hitting a series high 3.0 demo last week. It has a ton of buzz and critical acclaim to boot. It will likely stay in its Tuesday 9pm slot next season (perhaps leading into a new show) and also will likely continue to do 18 episodes a year. This is Us joins The Voice as official NBC renewals for next season.

Here is my weekly recap for Week #17. Please note this only covers regularly scheduled shows (no sports, specials, repeats, or Saturday shows). It also does not cover CW in the ratings section to make past year comparisons more accurate.

Wednesday night has the People's Choice Awards on CBS hosted by Joel McHale. It's not much of a draw these days but it could be an improvement on the regular drama lineup. ABC is interestingly starting with Fresh Off the Boat on a special night and time. Are they seeing how it does in this type of role for a potential future move somewhere? NBC and FOX have their regular lineups and NBC could benefit without the CBS dramas.

On Monday night, the CBS lineup rose across the board. The best rise came from Kevin Can Wait, which was up 1.3 million viewers and three tenths in the demo. The demo is the best since early November and the viewer total is the best since it was following The Big Bang Theory at the beginning of the season. At 8:30pm, Man with a Plan was up 1.1 million viewers and three tenths in the demo. The viewer total is a series high and the demo was the best since the series premiere. At 9pm, 2 Broke Girls was up half a million viewers and two tenths in the demo. Despite having a new lead-in this week, The Odd Couple was up six tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. At 10pm, Scorpion was up four tenths in viewers and even in the demo. On ABC, The Bachelor was up six tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo, remaining one of the absolute beasts in broadcast. Two more episodes of Big Fan were on par respective to their episodes last week. Quantico starts in this slot next week.

On NBC, The New Celebrity Apprentice was up four tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. Then Timeless returned to the lineup for the first time since December 12. It was down 1.3 million viewers and a tenth in the demo. And finally, on January 16, NBC has its first Mon-Thurs show go below a 0.9 demo. That was an impressive streak considering the other networks accomplished that much earlier in the season. It also is probably the final nail in the coffin for Timeless, which has been just barely hanging on at respectable levels. Finally on FOX, their drama lineup came back for a three week run before 24: Legacy and APB take over Monday nights. Gotham was up three tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo while Lucifer was down a tenth in viewers and even in the demo. I do not understand why FOX scheduled these shows the way they did. They now will be airing into the summer when they could have aired new episodes for three weeks in December (instead of 0) and five weeks in January (instead of 3). That's six episodes they could have gotten in before making way for the midseason lineup. I truly don't get it.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: Kevin Can Wait (CBS)LOSER OF THE NIGHT: Timeless (NBC)

Tuesday night has new episodes everywhere except The Flash on the CW. Speaking of the CW, No Tomorrow ends its very quiet first season with what will likely end up being the series finale. On NBC, This is Us had a huge 3.0 demo last week airing at a special 10pm time after President Obama's Farewell Address. This week it gets to air at 9pm and could keep that 3.0 or perhaps even go higher?ABC8:00 The Middle #180 "Pitch Imperfect"8:30 American Housewife #12 "Surprise"9:00 Fresh Off the Boat #47 "The Best of Orlando"9:30 The Real O'Neals #23 "The Real Acceptance"10:00 Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. #76 "The Patriot"CBS8:00 NCIS #318 "Off the Grid"9:00 Bull #11 "Teacher's Pet"10:00 NCIS: New Orleans #58 "Let it Ride"NBC8:00 The Wall9:00 This is Us #12 "The Big Day"10:00 Chicago Fire #102 "The People We Meet"FOX8:00 New Girl #129 "Cece's Boys"8:30 The Mick #5 "The Fire"9:00 Bones #237 "The New Tricks in the Old Dogs"CW8:00 The Flash (REPEAT)9:00 No Tomorrow #13 "No Sleep 'Til Reykjavik" (Season Finale)

Monday, January 16, 2017

Monday night has new episodes on every network except the CW. Timeless on NBC plus the FOX pair of Gotham/Lucifer are back for the first time in 2017. The CBS lineup is also fully new again but I'm sure it will once again be The Bachelor topping the night. Big Fan airs two more episodes before making way for Quantico starting next week.

On Friday night, NBC had the second week of its new drama lineup and it didn't go well. Grimm was down three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo while week two of Emerald City was down a rough 1.3 million viewers and two tenths in the demo from last week's two hour premiere. NBC has too many success stories on other nights for Emerald City to actually have a chance at these numbers. I'm sure it'll finish its run but there won't be more. At 10pm, Dateline NBC was down nine tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo from its last airing two weeks ago. On CBS, MacGyver was down eight tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo and Hawaii Five-0 was down four tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. Blue Bloods held up better as it was down just three tenths in viewers and even in the demo.

On ABC, Last Man Standing came back after last week's unusual big surge. It was down six tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. Dr. Ken followed and was down seven tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. At 9pm, Shark Tank was up a tenth in viewers and down a tenth in the demo while 20/20 closed out the night down four tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. On FOX, Rosewood was down a tenth in viewers and up a tenth in the demo while Sleepy Hollow was down a tenth in viewers and even in the demo with last week's season premiere. Finally on the CW, The Vampire Diaries began its final stretch of episodes. It was even with its last airing back on December 9. At 9pm, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend was even with last week's 9pm episode.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: Blue Bloods (CBS)LOSER OF THE NIGHT: Emerald City (NBC)